What you need to know about Hoes

A Hoe consists of a long shaft terminating in an angled metal blade. They have a long history of traditional agricultural use, as an implement for hilling, which involves piling earth around the base of tubers, leeks & onions to increase yields, & as an implement for furrowing - creating shallow trenches to expedite seeding. They are also effective weeding tools, as hoeing severs visible weeds from below ground root growth. There are two main types of Hoe; Draw Hoes (below left), preferred for hilling & furrowing, & Dutch Hoes (below right), preferred for weeding. Draw Hoes are dragged back towards the grower, & therefore have a blade angle of ninety degrees or more, whereas Dutch Hoes are pushed forwards by the grower, & have a much less sharply angled blade.